Saturday, June 28, 2008

More SAHD News Is Not News

Can you say SAHD in Quebecois?

There are five times as many stay-at-home-dads in Quebec (per capita) as in the the other Canadian provinces according to a Statistics Canada report. In the last few years, the province has increased to 35 weeks the benefits provided for men's parental leave, offered a parental insurance program, and even began a five-week leave program just for new dads.

Not that this is the only news on the SAHD front. In fact, there are so many stories being written about the "phenomenon," it is pretty much not phenomenal any more. It has become harder and harder to make real news.

So, let's not pretend its real news ...

...When, for example, lets talk about the son who will be spending years of quality time with his stay at home (sort of) dad. Beacon (Ill.) father Angel "Doc" Luciano hadn't seen his son in a few years, but thanks to the U.S. judicial system a reunion is in the offing. Son Michael Luciano — who was a good enough son to follow his father's orders and kill Willie Arce — has been sentenced to some prison time.

...Or when South Dakota guys decide that careers in engineering or law aren't satisfying (or don't pay as well as the wife's) when compared to staying home and being with their children. as o take care of the kids at home because the wife can make more money as a doctor than he will make as a lawyer.

...And not even when a guy wants four children and his wife wants three so they have two older daughters, a one-year-old and quadruplets in the middle. And he stays at home to take of them — and even pimps them out (literarily speaking) for pay as the Quadfather.

While it is good to know of the welcoming Canadians and that more kids can mean more material and money, unfortunately, the basic lesson from today is that more SAHDs equals less new and even less news.

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